Clamp for guard-rails.



G. M. ERVIN.

CLAMP FOR GUARD RAILS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12,1907.

Patented Mar. 28, 1911.

INVENTUR I GU72. Erdzu Afro/Fun.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

QEOBGE M. ERVIN, OF PEN MAR, PENNSYLVANIA, AS SIGNOR TO THE LORAIN STEELCOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CLAMP non GUARD-RAILS;

simiflwiiwof LBtmrsPate-nt Patented iii 2K1. .28, 1911.. Applicationfiled July 12, 1907. Serial No. 383,529.

of this character, \vherohy the gum-d rail can be adjusted with relationto the main rail, and rigidly clamped, with respect thereto, while theclam ing members are rigidly locked in their c amped position.

With these objects in View, my invention.

consists inthe novel construction, arrange- ..1nent, and combination ofparts,all substan- :tia-lly as hereinafter described and pointed out inthe appended claims, reference hecutaway portion 0 ing had to theaccompanying drawings in which Figure 1, is a plan view ofsr main railand a guard-rail secured thereto with my improved clamp; Fig. 2 is anend view thereof; Fig. 3,..isia sectional View on the line file-III(if-Fig; 1 Fig 4, is a perspective view of the clamping wedge; Fig.5,

is a perspective view of the wedge locking key.

A is the main rail, B the guardrail; both of the wellknownT-rnilcross-section. Par-v tially surrounding the rails is the clamp (3.,

The clamp C is made up of the bottomplate. c, and the upwardly andinwardly projecting sides 0 and. 0 The inner face ofthe side 0' isprovided with the angular 'l'oeth 0 and the inner face of the side 0 isprovided'wit-h the horizontal bearing faces c, and the cut away portiona", between these faces. As can be seen by referring to Flo's. 1 and 2,the inner face of the side a on a. taper from top to bottom, and fromone end to the other for the purpose to he hereinafter-described.

Placed between the-main rail A, and the side 0 of the chimp C, is achock D, having the teeth )1 on oneside thereof, which intermesh with,and engage the-teeth c of the side a, while a portion of the top; bottomand the olher side, engages the bottom of the I head the 10 of the foot,and the web resper'ztively, of one side of the main rail. This chock Dcan be cast or formed integral with the sulc'a,but I prefer to. make itseparate. as it is easier and cheaper to manu-' torture. and also allowsan interchanging of choclcs for rails of different cross-sectiou. G.(at, are spacing blocks which are placed between the main andguard-rail. The contiguous faces of these blocks are provided with iitorlor-king teeth 1, The outer faces engage lhe bottom of the head, topof the foot. and the web of the rails. flnterposed l'ietween the side aof the clamp and the guard-rail, is the wedge .l-i which is tzuieredwith relation. to the vertical and horizontah This v edge H, engages thehead, foot and web of the gnardwail on one side. and the other s des,.prov1ded-,with

The hearing faces 11,71, of thewedge H,- on gage the hear-111g faces inthe side o of the clamp C, and thetceth h" enter-the terlock with theteeth 17/ on the wedge H,

looking: it in its adjusted fp'osition. The other face of the key ZlS-pHJV lTiEd with the cutaway portion to allow theinsertion of a bar toengage and withdrew the key,

and j is a groove through which a ,c-o'tter 7c is passed, to retain thekey in place-and prevenitit from being jarred fro nits seat.

When the inner face of the-head of the guard rail B becomes worn, and itis de sired to move the guard-rail toward the main-rail, the cotter 7cis withdrawnto release the key J, and the key is Withdrawn. The wedge His now driven out, which will release the guard rail, and thespacing-blocks t, G. The blocks G. G, are now shifted the requireddistance to take up the Wear on the guardrail; and. the guard-rail ismovedto* "'ard the main rail. The wedge H is re pinred and driven home,and theliey' J and its retaining cotter k are replace-cl.

In the manner described, I form an ad.

justable and secure guard rail. clamp, which firmly clamps the severalmembers together.- By means of the longitudinal taper in the wedge H,the rails are firmly held in position in the, clamps, while the verticaltaper ing sides a and 0 of the clamp hold the rails firmly on the bottomplate.

I do not wish to limit myself to the specific construction andarrangement herein shown and described, as variouschanges can be madewithout departing vfrom the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. A guard -rail clamp, comprising aclamping-member having converging jaws, a removable chock interposedbetween one of the jaws and the main-rail, a plurality of teeth on thechock engaging recesses in the adjacent jaw, a spacing block interposedbetween the main and guard rail, and a wedge engaging the guardrail andthe other jaw of the clamping member, said wedge be ing adapted to movevertically in securing vertical and horizontal planes, a guard-rail,

a spacing block between the main and guardrail, a wedge engaging theangular faced jaw of the clamping member and the guardrail and providedwith projections, and a key engaging said projections to lock the wedgeto the clamping member.

3. A guard-rail clamp, comprising a clamping member having convergingjaws, a removable chock interposed between one of the jaws and-the mainrail, the chock being provided with a plurality of locking members whichengage and interlock with recesses in the clamping member, a spacingblock interposed between the main and guard-rail, and a wedge engagingthe guard- 'ail and the other jaw of the clamping memer, said wedgebeing verticallyv adjustable,

to tighten-the parts in place.

4 A guard-rail clamp, comprising a clamping member, having Lonvergingjaws, v a' removable 'ehock interposed between one in the wedge H, andthe inwardly project- I of the jaws and the main-rail, a spacing blockinterposed between the main and guard-rail, a wedge engaging the guard-"ail and the other jaw, and a key having a iilurality of teeth engagingrecesses in the wedge to secure the wedge to the clamping member.

5. A. guard -rail clamp, comprising a clamping-member, having convergingjaws, a movable chock il'iterposed between one of the jaws and the mainrail, the chock being provided with locking members which engage andinterlock with the chock and the clamping member, a spacing-blockinterposed between the main and guard-rail, a vertically tapering wedgeengaging the guard-rail and the other jaw, a key for locking the wedgeto the clamping member and means to secure the he in its lockingposition; substantially as cescribed.

6. A guard-rail, comprising a clamping member, having converging jaws, amovable chock interposed between one of the jaws and the main-rail, anadjustable spacing block.interposed between the main and guard-rail, anda wedge engaging the guard rail, and the other jaw of the clampingmember, said wedge being adapted to move vertically to tighten the partsin place.

7. A guard rail clampcomprising a jaw clamping member, one of said jawsengagtion, and a horizontally extending key contacting with the wedgeand angular jaw face to secure the wedge in place.

In testimony whereof I have aiiiXed my signature in presence oft-wo'witni ases.

GEO. M. ERVIN. Witnesses: Lonn'r'ro OCONNELL,

W. SMITH.

